Birth/Death:
1914-1981
Location:
Joe Louis Barrow, the son of Alabama sharecroppers, was born in 1914 at the
beginning of World War 1. Louis, his siblings, and his mother moved from the
Deep South to Detroit when Joe was 12. On one fight at Yankee Stadium, the
stadium was filled with a record crowd of mostly blacks and Italians.
Early Life:
According to The Biography Channel website, Louis’s family life was shaped by financial
struggle. The Louis kids slept three to a bed and Louis’ father was committed to a state
hospital when he was just two years old. Louis had little schooling and as teen took on odd
jobs in order to help out his mother and siblings. The family eventually relocated to Detroit
where Louis found work as a laborer at the River Rouge plant of the Ford Motor
Company. For a time Louis set his sights on a career in cabinet making. He
briefly attended the Bronson Vocational School for training and in his off-time
took violin lessons. But it was while at school that a friend recommended he try
boxing.
Contributions and Significance:
In a photograph by Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Joe Louis
is seen reading the Bible. I think that says a lot about a person. Louis was
also poor so that is showing his image of being a role model. This kind of
reminds me of Abraham Lincoln. Besides that, he was an amazing boxer. In his
first big fight, he had to challenge former world heavyweight champion Primo
Carnera. To many, Carnera represented the Fascist ambitions of Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini, who was on the verge of invading Ethiopia, the world’s oldest
independent black nation. Louis was an African American who symbolized the free
world and also the pride of the African people. He showed this by beating the
Italian in the sixth round. In another photograph, you can see how Joe Louis
looks for an opening while his opponent is protecting himself. This shows his
ability as a boxer. Another fight he won physically and mentally for his
supporters was the rematch against Schmeling. This win raised the morale of
other Americans who needed a lift during the bleakest of the Depression years.
Even Malcolm X showed his support for Louis by saying, “Every Negro boy old
enough to walk wanted to be the next Brown Bomber.” Louis went on to defend his
title a record 25 times. In doing so, he became America’s first African
American hero, destroying the myth of racial inferiority as soundly as he
defeated his opponents in the ring.
Today’s Impact:
I think that his impact on today’s society was that no matter how bad a time it
is, there could be a glimmer of hope. He was fighting during the Great
Depression and beating “Nazis”, which gave hope to many Americans. A big barrier
that he also knocked down was the racial barrier. He was loved by whites and
blacks. Without him doing that, I think that there would not have been a
Muhammad Ali or Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Why I Chose this History Maker:
I mainly chose this person because I like sports, including boxing. What this
boxer did was incredible. Not many boxers can say that they defended their title
25 times. Now that I know this person, I consider him a role model because of
his overcoming his poverty, which is always inspirational.
1914-1981
Location:
Joe Louis Barrow, the son of Alabama sharecroppers, was born in 1914 at the
beginning of World War 1. Louis, his siblings, and his mother moved from the
Deep South to Detroit when Joe was 12. On one fight at Yankee Stadium, the
stadium was filled with a record crowd of mostly blacks and Italians.
Early Life:
According to The Biography Channel website, Louis’s family life was shaped by financial
struggle. The Louis kids slept three to a bed and Louis’ father was committed to a state
hospital when he was just two years old. Louis had little schooling and as teen took on odd
jobs in order to help out his mother and siblings. The family eventually relocated to Detroit
where Louis found work as a laborer at the River Rouge plant of the Ford Motor
Company. For a time Louis set his sights on a career in cabinet making. He
briefly attended the Bronson Vocational School for training and in his off-time
took violin lessons. But it was while at school that a friend recommended he try
boxing.
Contributions and Significance:
In a photograph by Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Joe Louis
is seen reading the Bible. I think that says a lot about a person. Louis was
also poor so that is showing his image of being a role model. This kind of
reminds me of Abraham Lincoln. Besides that, he was an amazing boxer. In his
first big fight, he had to challenge former world heavyweight champion Primo
Carnera. To many, Carnera represented the Fascist ambitions of Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini, who was on the verge of invading Ethiopia, the world’s oldest
independent black nation. Louis was an African American who symbolized the free
world and also the pride of the African people. He showed this by beating the
Italian in the sixth round. In another photograph, you can see how Joe Louis
looks for an opening while his opponent is protecting himself. This shows his
ability as a boxer. Another fight he won physically and mentally for his
supporters was the rematch against Schmeling. This win raised the morale of
other Americans who needed a lift during the bleakest of the Depression years.
Even Malcolm X showed his support for Louis by saying, “Every Negro boy old
enough to walk wanted to be the next Brown Bomber.” Louis went on to defend his
title a record 25 times. In doing so, he became America’s first African
American hero, destroying the myth of racial inferiority as soundly as he
defeated his opponents in the ring.
Today’s Impact:
I think that his impact on today’s society was that no matter how bad a time it
is, there could be a glimmer of hope. He was fighting during the Great
Depression and beating “Nazis”, which gave hope to many Americans. A big barrier
that he also knocked down was the racial barrier. He was loved by whites and
blacks. Without him doing that, I think that there would not have been a
Muhammad Ali or Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Why I Chose this History Maker:
I mainly chose this person because I like sports, including boxing. What this
boxer did was incredible. Not many boxers can say that they defended their title
25 times. Now that I know this person, I consider him a role model because of
his overcoming his poverty, which is always inspirational.